Jaipur loves to celebrate Janmashtami. The reason is because Jaipur has a large number of Vaishnavs. Janmashtami celebrations in Jaipur are one of the best you will experience in North India. There are a large number of Krishna temples in Jaipur. Janmashtami is celebrated as the birthday of Krishna. The pictures were clicked prior to the grand procession of the festival near the Govind Devji Temple. Govind Dev Ji Temple in Jaipur has a huge following.

Janmashtami Celebration in Jaipur | The Reason For Popularity Of Govind Dev Ji Temple

Krishna is one of the most revered deities in Jaipur. There is a special relationship that the people of Jaipur share with Govind Dev Ji or Lord Krishna. Jaipur is a vibrant place when it comes to religion. You will find a temple of almost every deity in the city. Not only that, but there are also many mosques, Gurudwaras, and churches as well. There is religious diversity in Jaipur

Lord Krishna is one of the most popular deities in Hinduism. The reason Lord Govind Dev Ji is highly revered in Jaipur must be answered by delving into the history of the Govind Devji Temple.

In 1727 AD  Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II  founded Jaipur as a new capital of the Dhundhad region. Amer town preceded  Jaipur as the capital of Dhundhad. The Rajput Kachhawah rulers of Amer followed the Vaishnav sect of Hinduism.  It’s believed that Kachhawah Rajput were lineal descendants of Lord Rama through his son Kush.  As per religious and mythological belief, Lord Rama and Krishna are both avatars of Lord Vishnu.

Maharajah Man Singh I who was the ruler of Amer, constructed Govind Dev Ji temple in the holy city of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh in 1590 AD. Govind Dev Ji is one of manifestations of Lord Krishna. In 1669 AD Mughal ruler Aurangzeb who ruled vast tracts of India ordered the destruction of all Hindu temples in North India. With these orders in place, the idols at Govind Dev Ji temple were secretly shifted out of Vrindavan to save them from destruction at the behest of  Amer rulers. Govind Devji temple in Vrindavan was plundered & damaged by the  Mughal army. A few idols from the Govind Dev Ji temple, Vrindavan found their way to the Amer in due course. These idols were then established at the Radha Madhav temple in Kanak Vrindavan.

The popular theory goes that Lord Govind Dev manifested in the dreams of  Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II who founded Jaipur and asked him to shift his idol to the current site of Govind Dev Ji temple in Jaipur within the premises of his royal abode. Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II ensured the same. He believed that the real ruler of Jaipur was Lord Govind Dev and he was merely his disciple. This belief got passed on through all his lineal descendants; they too built many other rich and grand temples dedicated to Lord Krishna. Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II was an ardent follower and his day would start with the darshan of his Lord. It’s natural for the people of Jaipur to adore Lord Govind Dev Ji too.

The following of Govind Devji in Jaipur is as strong as it was 300 years ago. Every Janmasthmi, Govind Dev Ji temple celebrates the birthday of Lord Krishna in a grand way. The celebration spans over a week and starts before the Janmashtami.

Check out my earlier write-up on Govind Dev Ji Temple.  Click here to read more posts from the same category.

Here are a few pictures from the walled city area of Jaipur during  Janmashtami celebrations in Jaipur.

Here is a picture of a kid in a joyous mood at one of the heritage temples in Jaipur- Ramchandra Ji temple. Kids have their own way of celebrating. He was wheeling even though people around were busy setting things up for the celebrations.

I clicked this picture in Sirehdyodi Bazaar near Hawa Mahal. It depicts the love for Lord Krishna. It’s a makeshift temple under a tree. Someone lighted a Diya (Indian version of a candle but it uses oil rather than wax) and placed a picture of Lord Krishna along with it. Marigold flowers spread all around to complete the setting.

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